Ultimate Fighter - Fall 2008 edition

[pjenkins]

Is anyone going to watch this season? Started tonight but it cut it off toward the end, I think a fight went long prior and I didn't have any padding.

[The Flush]

I padded it 30 minutes, so hopefully I caught it all. I have not started watching it yet though.

[fmowry]

I recorded ultimate fight night but if it went long, I'll probably have to retape the show. If you look through the history of the show, some decent fighters have come out of it.

Frank

[2004raptor]

I watched the UFN and I think it ran over ~7 minutes. So I went ahead and added 15 minutes for the Ultimate Fighter. Will watch in the next few days. I did see one thing about it but I don't know how to do spoilers so I'll just say that I can't believe what Clay Guida's brother did. :down:

[Magister]

I was lucky enough to notice the TUF had started late while watching it, so I padded it by 10 minutes, and that was perfect.

I was impressed by the fights. Loved the fight to get in the house format last year and it is working this year. Nice to be able to get a feeling at the beginning how good the guys are.

[Jebberwocky!]

two brothers of current UFC fighters trying to get into the house - I has such hopes.

How could you not make weight?

[pjenkins]

two brothers of current UFC fighters trying to get into the house - I has such hopes.

How could you not make weight?

yeah, that was strange and downright dumb. don't these guys have weeks to prepare for this (not just the one day they showed?) on their own?

[WhiskeyTango]

When the one dude fainted, at first I thought the guy behind him was trying to choke him out or something. Guida was just not in good shape. He must have cut a lot of weight for them to tell him, medically that he can't do more. At 207 he was still looking kinda flabby. I only watched up to the fight with Guida's replacement, I'll have to watch the rest tonight.

[TAsunder]

When the one dude fainted, at first I thought the guy behind him was trying to choke him out or something. Guida was just not in good shape. He must have cut a lot of weight for them to tell him, medically that he can't do more. At 207 he was still looking kinda flabby. I only watched up to the fight with Guida's replacement, I'll have to watch the rest tonight.

I thought he was over 210, maybe even 215, when he first weighed himself.

Are the guida brothers the two ugliest people in MMA? I think they just might be.

It seems that brothers doing well was an anomaly for Nate Diaz.

[ireland967]

I love how Guida kept calling the guy from the athletic commission Doc until he finally corrected him.

Everyone who had their recordings cut should check out another broadcast, I believe the last fight was the blonde hair guy against motormouth which was pretty good. And after winning he proclaims "I hear they have free alcohol in the house, that could be trouble"

[TAsunder]

So far I think we've seen the strengths of both coaches, BTW. Frank Mir is a great corner man coach and knows all the little things. Nog seems to have superior grappling technique that he can impart during training.

[Magister]

So far I think we've seen the strengths of both coaches, BTW. Frank Mir is a great corner man coach and knows all the little things. Nog seems to have superior grappling technique that he can impart during training.

Mir GREATLY respects Nog, so I assume there will be limited trash talking between the two coaches.

They both carried themselves very well in the first episode. Mir was so excited to be there. Says alot about a guy.

[Philosofy]

I like Mir a lot: he's very knowledgeable, and I think he'll be a great coach. I don't know Nog that well, but I hope he can coach, also.

WTF with that guy comparing himself to Napoleon and Hitler, then quitting the fight, and then saying the other guy got lucky today. I hope we never see him again in any MMA organization.

[TAsunder]

WTF with that guy comparing himself to Napoleon and Hitler, then quitting the fight, and then saying the other guy got lucky today. I hope we never see him again in any MMA organization.

That guy was awesome. He should get together with Machete and form a street gang.

[Jebberwocky!]

I got a chuckle out of Mir and Nog talking about foot stomps.

Nog: "I don like them"
Mir: "I don't like them either - lets agree to not use them during our fight" while smiling.

[Ment]

Are the guida brothers the two ugliest people in MMA? I think they just might be.

It seems that brothers doing well was an anomaly for Nate Diaz.

I thought he was 217 when he started out. I wonder if Jason is only a half-brother to Clay as he is so much bigger. Clay fights at 155.

[Philosofy]

I also liked when the blonde guy was fighting Hitler, Mir says to Nog "He says he hates Brazilians. You shouldn't pick him."

[bareyb]

Well it looks like we have our new "Chris Leben" character this season. :D

I think Mir blew it by letting Nog pick the first fight... That has not been a good way to go in the past. Once one team gets control it's pretty easy for them to keep it. Big mistake IMO. On the other hand, my friend's son, got back on the show as an alternate (Kyle Castelberry) and he's on Nog's team so I was kind of happy to see that. Hopefully they will match him up with someone he can beat and he'll get a shot at the whole deal. Clutchbrakes coach is on the show too as an alternate. Looking forward to the season.

[Magister]

Well it looks like we have our new "Chris Leben" character this season. :D


I think UF is a lot different then the first season. I don't think Dana is going to put up with as much crap as he used to. Make fighters earn the bed in teh house and make them keep it by acting at least not horribly.

He is going to be FU'd dude.

[ClutchBrake]

Since this is the official thread I'll have to post it here. My coach is Roli Delgado, the LW that got to come back last night after Brian left with a broken nose. It's pretty cool to see him on the show but I hated that he was gone from the gym for so long!

[MrGreg]

I guess I can kind of see how with all that free alcohol and nothing else to do, some of the competitors might get pretty drunk. But I have never understood the destruction that always seems to follow. Have these people never had consequences from the drunk, destructive actions before? Have they never seen this show before (and the consequences that follow)?

[bareyb]

I think UF is a lot different then the first season. I don't think Dana is going to put up with as much crap as he used to. Make fighters earn the bed in teh house and make them keep it by acting at least not horribly.

He is going to be FU'd dude.

You're probably right. Judging from this preview of next weeks show (http://www.spike.com/video/leak-junie-goes/3041492), it's not looking good for him... :D

[bareyb]

I guess I can kind of see how with all that free alcohol and nothing else to do, some of the competitors might get pretty drunk. But I have never understood the destruction that always seems to follow. Have these people never had consequences from the drunk, destructive actions before? Have they never seen this show before (and the consequences that follow)?

I think part of the problem is that they are on the show and America is watching... It's a paradox. The "crazy one's" get a lot of air time and the producers of the show hype the hell out of it. The preview (http://www.spike.com/video/leak-junie-goes/3041492) I posted above is on Spikes website hyping Junies crazy behavior for next week's show. It's good TV, but it's bad for the fighters as Dana has no choice but to kick them off.

[ClutchBrake]

I think part of the problem is that they are on the show and America is watching... It's a paradox. The "crazy one's" get a lot of air time and the producers of the show hype the hell out of it. The preview (http://www.spike.com/video/leak-junie-goes/3041492) I posted above is on Spikes website hyping Junies crazy behavior for next week's show. It's good TV, but it's bad for the fighters as Dana has no choice but to kick them off.

I don't think Junie is going to get kicked off though. At least not soon. Dana seems to really like him. I've been reading the blogs of the fighters and coaches involved with TUF 8 and nearly all of them mention the crazy things Junie does "in the weeks to come". Sounds to me like Dana keeps giving him a pass.

[laststarfighter]

Well, in one of the previews, there was a sound bite where Dana said, "You should have been kicked off the show three times already." Looks like he's going to get a long leash.

And I love it.:D

[pjenkins]

nice to have a MMA person in the thread, i'm just now picking up on the sport, it's getting way to much of my DVR time now :)

[bareyb]

Well, in one of the previews, there was a sound bite where Dana said, "You should have been kicked off the show three times already." Looks like he's going to get a long leash.

And I love it.:D

He must not actually punch anyone in the face or they don't punch him back. Dana likes good ratings just as much as the networks do and "crazy" makes for conflict and conflict is what gets ratings on reality shows. :p

[goblue97]

nice to have a MMA person in the thread, i'm just now picking up on the sport, it's getting way to much of my DVR time now :)
Man, you need to go back and see if you can pick up on some of the earlier seasons and even moreso the earlier UFCs. If you know where to look, you can find lots of it available for download.

[goblue97]

Have these people never had consequences from the drunk, destructive actions before? Have they never seen this show before (and the consequences that follow)?
This is the one thing continues to bother me. Why do they (producers, Dana, UFC, etc.) encourage it and then act surprised when chaos ensues?

[pjenkins]

Man, you need to go back and see if you can pick up on some of the earlier seasons and even moreso the earlier UFCs. If you know where to look, you can find lots of it available for download.

oh that's all i need is more time downloading MMA fights, i might not get any work done :)

i have passes set up for anything EliteXC, UFC and HDNet Fights and it has been picking up some good ones lately, all the Kimbo Slice fights, some of the tourny-style Japanese stuff, and a lot of unknowns (to me anyway). The best one I saw recently was a "best endings" or something where it was basically 60 minutes of knockouts/tapouts of fights, they'd show like the last 30 seconds of each.

[The Flush]

TUF would be improved immediately if they focused completely on the training and the fights and not the stupidity in the house.

[TAsunder]

TUF would be improved immediately if they focused completely on the training and the fights and not the stupidity in the house.

Agreed. They should just eliminate the house entirely, or at least put them in separate houses. That's why this is reality tv though and not merely a contest.

[ClutchBrake]

TUF would be improved immediately if they focused completely on the training and the fights and not the stupidity in the house.

I think they did that to a much larger degree last year and I enjoyed it.

[justen_m]

TUF would be improved immediately if they focused completely on the training and the fights and not the stupidity in the house.
That's why I like Tivo. I skip through most everything except the fights, and some of the training. Sometimes I even 30ss through the fights until the end, then rewind and do my own replay to watch stuff in slow mo.

[laststarfighter]

They can't cut out the house. That's practically the whole reason why this show works. This is why it worked on the boxing reality show, The Contender. Yes, some of the guys do stupid drunk stuff but you also learn about the people too.

The contestants become more than just some random name on the undercard of some UFC event. You develop a vested interest in their success (or failure if they were super jerks) because of the show.

If we only saw the training then Junie would only be known to us as a cocky bastard who has some fighting talent. Now we know so much more about him because of his antics in the house. We get insight into the inner demons he struggles with.

[Jebberwocky!]

They can't cut out the house. That's practically the whole reason why this show works. This is why it worked on the boxing reality show, The Contender. Yes, some of the guys do stupid drunk stuff but you also learn about the people too.

The contestants become more than just some random name on the undercard of some UFC event. You develop a vested interest in their success (or failure if they were super jerks) because of the show.

I never noticed, I FF thru all that BS ;)

[TAsunder]

They can't cut out the house. That's practically the whole reason why this show works. This is why it worked on the boxing reality show, The Contender. Yes, some of the guys do stupid drunk stuff but you also learn about the people too.

The contestants become more than just some random name on the undercard of some UFC event. You develop a vested interest in their success (or failure if they were super jerks) because of the show.

If we only saw the training then Junie would only be known to us as a cocky bastard who has some fighting talent. Now we know so much more about him because of his antics in the house. We get insight into the inner demons he struggles with.

Couldn't we get all of that by following them in their homes/hotels/apartments near the site? I guess it would require too many cameramen or something.

[ClutchBrake]

If anyone is interested, my coach is doing a weekly TUF blog for MMA Weekly.

Here is his blog for week 3 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7260&zoneid=13).

[goblue97]

They can't cut out the house. That's practically the whole reason why this show works. This is why it worked on the boxing reality show, The Contender. Yes, some of the guys do stupid drunk stuff but you also learn about the people too.

The contestants become more than just some random name on the undercard of some UFC event. You develop a vested interest in their success (or failure if they were super jerks) because of the show.

If we only saw the training then Junie would only be known to us as a cocky bastard who has some fighting talent. Now we know so much more about him because of his antics in the house. We get insight into the inner demons he struggles with.
As much as I hate to say it, I agree with this 100%. Without all the drama this would simply be a documentary that they could put on the Discovery Channel. I would still watch that show too but I like this show the way it is. In fact, I liked seasons one and two with all the challenges (not sure if they still did that for three or not).

[goblue97]

If anyone is interested, my coach is doing a weekly TUF blog for MMA Weekly.

Here is his blog for week 3 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7260&zoneid=13).
Thanks for the heads up on that. Good read too. Your coach seems like a pretty humble guy. Certainly not a good fit for the house. ;)

[ClutchBrake]

Thanks for the heads up on that. Good read too. Your coach seems like a pretty humble guy. Certainly not a good fit for the house. ;)

Yup, that is why I was surprised he made it as far as he did at tryouts, regardless of skill.

BTW, his preliminary fight was TWO rounds, not three as I had heard at the gym.

[pjenkins]

btw, i think she should be in the house ;)

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/articlefiles/7270-09_GinaCaranoEliteXCweigh.jpg

[goblue97]

btw, i think she should be in the house ;)

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/articlefiles/7270-09_GinaCaranoEliteXCweigh.jpg
Did anyone snap a pic of her at Friday's weigh-ins when she had to come back with less clothes on?

[The Flush]

You mean NO clothes on!!

[2004raptor]

Not if this is NSFW.


http://upshizzle.com/temp/gina%20towel%202.gif

[EvilMidniteBombr]

I am a fan of the show and I understand that the antics in the house are what a lot of people tune in to see. But why do they have to wreck the entire place? Do these guys not have any respect for other's property?

As a native Kentuckian, I just want to say that I am ashamed that Junie is from this state. He needs to be in a mental ward not a gym. The way he acts and drinks is embarrassing. I know that controversy = ratings but they really should reconsider letting guys like him off the show.

Aside from that, I have really liked this show for the last two seasons. Having them fight to get into the house really does weed out those guys that are just there for their 15 minutes of fame. The downside is that it really puts a physical strain on the fighters. This was even more evident with this season. 3 or 4 guys were injured and couldn't continue. One was denied medical clearance because he had to cut too much weight. Regardless, it does insure that only the people that deserve to be there make onto the show.

[ClutchBrake]

One was denied medical clearance because he had to cut too much weight.

That is just the most insane thing to me. This is likely the biggest break most of these guys will ever get. How on earth could someone come and not make weight? Even the guys last year that had to fight to get on the show were told to specifically show ready to fight. It is inexcusable this year and in the future.

[Magister]

That is just the most insane thing to me. This is likely the biggest break most of these guys will ever get. How on earth could someone come and not make weight? Even the guys last year that had to fight to get on the show were told to specifically show ready to fight. It is inexcusable this year and in the future.

And that is why Dana White just kicks them off the show, it is inexcusable. Too many kids fighting too hard to get on the show to waste it on someone not ready.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

That is just the most insane thing to me. This is likely the biggest break most of these guys will ever get. How on earth could someone come and not make weight? Even the guys last year that had to fight to get on the show were told to specifically show ready to fight. It is inexcusable this year and in the future.
I agree. No excuses for that in my book.

[pjenkins]

Could Junie (aka the punk kid) be more annoying? Reminds me of every stupid overly hyped on steroids/drugs kids I grew up with. Pretty shocked White let him stay on and WTF was he thinking jumping into the ring after the fight was over to challenge the winner? I was hoping Nogueira was going to flatten the punk.

I thought the fight between Efrain Escudero and Shane Nelson was good, but the constant yelling of 1000 different instructions by the trainers is beyond annoying. Can the fighters really get anything from all that yelping? It appeared to me that it made them both more tentative and 2nd guessing themselves.

[goblue97]

Wow, Junie was extremely annoying. I can't believe the restraint that the other guys were showing. Chris Leben may have been the troublemaker from season one but this guy makes Leben look like Roli Delgado :).

I never eally got annoyed by all the coaches yelling instructions until the season that Matt Serra was a coach. It seemed like they everything got amplified after that.

[Magister]

Junie should be gone finally. Can't imagine getting another chance. That was a big breach.

[Jebberwocky!]

I thought you started an entire season thread ;)

Ultimate Fighter - Fall 2008 edition (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=405448&highlight=ultimate+fighter)

Why this on then?

[pjenkins]

I thought you started an entire season thread ;)

Ultimate Fighter - Fall 2008 edition (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=405448&highlight=ultimate+fighter)

Why this on then?

i thought individual shows were new threads, that's how the other shows work. are we restricted to just one thread for some reason?

[Jebberwocky!]

i thought individual shows were new threads, that's how the other shows work. are we restricted to just one thread for some reason?

No restrictions - but sometimes a show may just have one thread and other times one for each show. With your thread title implying a thread for the whole season I was just confused - especially when you started both threads :D Last season we had just one thread as well.

That plus no other individual UF threads from this season lead to my confusion.

[pjenkins]

No restrictions - but sometimes a show may just have one thread and other times one for each show. With your thread title implying a thread for the whole season I was just confused - especially when you started both threads :D Last season we had just one thread as well.

That plus no other individual UF threads from this season lead to my confusion.

i'm more than happy to have it all in one thread, maybe a moderator can merge? doesn't appear there are more than a few of us watching it anyway (how are the ratings for this season, btw?)

[Philosofy]

My god,, Junie is the biggest bully loser I've seen. He thinks if he gets kicked off the show, he'll still come back as a pro in the UFC? Not likely. He needs to be in prison getting some tough love from a 300 lb muscleman.

[Jim_TV]

I was so rooting for Junie's drunken friend to get his ass kicked and indeed he got submitted. Junie was so in the wrong when he said the fight was boring and jumped in the ring. Efrain actually finished Shane and got the $5,000 finishing bonus. I hope Junie gets his ass kicked off the show or better yet fights next and gets his ass kicked.

[pjenkins]

not being a fighter type, are people like generally tougher opponents or weaker ones? obviously he wants to fight all the time, and made some references to being picked on/roughed up as a kid all the time, are those the guys you want in the ring or ones you want to avoid?

[bareyb]

I was so rooting for Junie's drunken friend to get his ass kicked and indeed he got submitted. Junie was so in the wrong when he said the fight was boring and jumped in the ring. Efrain actually finished Shane and got the $5,000 finishing bonus. I hope Junie gets his ass kicked off the show or better yet fights next and gets his ass kicked.

I guess if you're going to pick a fight when you're drunk you better be able to back it up sober. I too was glad to see that bit of instant justice. I'm still not ready to see Junie leave though. I'm having fun watching Dana White have to deal with him. :D

[Fool Me Twice]

I really wanted to see Junie fight again. I enjoyed his first fight and thought he showed some promise. And based on his first brief interviews, I thought I was going to root for him. But, he's seriously messed up in the head.

He deserves to be kicked off the show, but I'm kind of hoping he gets some help and gets his head straight. I don't know why I don't hate him, but I don't. I pity him.

[goblue97]

not being a fighter type, are people like generally tougher opponents or weaker ones? obviously he wants to fight all the time, and made some references to being picked on/roughed up as a kid all the time, are those the guys you want in the ring or ones you want to avoid?
I'm not a fighter either but I have always heard that if you can get your opponent to come into the ring angry then you have an advantage. It has something to do with them coming in and fighting with their emotions versus fighting smart. I don't know if this answers your question but I just thought I would throw that out there.

[ClutchBrake]

Here is my coach's blog for episode 4 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7318&zoneid=13). We had a small watch party for this episode and it was really cool getting filled in on all the stuff going on in the background that didn't make it onto the show.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

That was a good fight. Junie is just pissed and embarrassed that his boy lost. I am hoping now that the fight is over Dana makes Shane leave the house. As for Junie, he should be gone. He is going to wind up hurting someone or himself.

Dana said "Don't make a fool out of me." and "maybe they're both gonna make a huge jackass outta me". Hey Dana. Guess what?...

[pjenkins]

i thought once someone lost they were gone from the house. what do they do if they stay, they don't fight again do they?

[EvilMidniteBombr]

Last season everyone was allowed to stay after they lost a fight. The only thing they can do is train and cheer on their team. I assume it will be that way again this season.

[Jebberwocky!]

Last season everyone was allowed to stay after they lost a fight. The only thing they can do is train and cheer on their team. I assume it will be that way again this season.

and fill in for injured or kicked off fighters

[Magister]

i thought once someone lost they were gone from the house. what do they do if they stay, they don't fight again do they?

I think for the last couple of seasons they have been staying.

[ClutchBrake]

I think for the last couple of seasons they have been staying.

Yeah, since season 3 if I remember correctly.

[Fool Me Twice]

I think the fighters stay in the house after they lose. Maybe someone can confirm that.

[ClutchBrake]

I think the fighters stay in the house after they lose. Maybe someone can confirm that.

They do. Since season 3.

[Philosofy]

I think we can all see that Junies problems are not caused by alcohol. I hope he starts a fight, gets his ass kicked, then kicked out of the house, and arrested for assault. Why is it that sometimes talent is wasted on complete assholds.

[ClutchBrake]

It sounds like tomorrow's (10/15) episode is one you want to watch quickly. I have no idea what happens but Roli said last night that he would fill us in live as the show airs (we are having a watch party) or we could read his blog the next day. Says he doesn't want to spend the rest of the season answering questions about it and he's contemplating not even answering his phone until the season is over!

[pjenkins]

It sounds like tomorrow's (10/15) episode is one you want to watch quickly. I have no idea what happens but Roli said last night that he would fill us in live as the show airs (we are having a watch party) or we could read his blog the next day. Says he doesn't want to spend the rest of the season answering questions about it and he's contemplating not even answering his phone until the season is over!

tease :)

[EvilMidniteBombr]

I had to watch this one soon after it aired. I still don't know why Dana is letting Junie stay on the show. Well, other than ratings. At least he is going to fight next week.

The itching powder, frozen underwear and fish oil all over the place is funny. But urinating on someone else's stuff is way over the line. It's disgusting and disrespectful. I'd love to see the guy punished for it. NOT kicked off the show, just punished

[ClutchBrake]

I love my coach. He is a great person and there is no one I would rather train under. Quite frankly I don't think many other coaches would even bother with someone like me.

That being said...
Junie by whatever he wants. He's faster, stronger, and has better standup. Perhaps Roli is the better pure grappler but Junie's strength and experience will outweigh anything Roli can throw at him.

[pjenkins]

stupid DVR messed up and didnt' record it, anyone know if Hulu carries it?

[The Flush]

Isn't it on Spike about 10 times per week?

[fmowry]

stupid DVR messed up and didnt' record it, anyone know if Hulu carries it?

Sat 10/18 at 5pm.

[goblue97]

It sounds like tomorrow's (10/15) episode is one you want to watch quickly. I have no idea what happens but Roli said last night that he would fill us in live as the show airs (we are having a watch party) or we could read his blog the next day. Says he doesn't want to spend the rest of the season answering questions about it and he's contemplating not even answering his phone until the season is over!
I'm guessing that the thing you are referring to was during the previews for next week, right? If so, he didn't train under Joe Scarola did he? <just kidding> I was surprised to see Mir involved in that exchange but then again, editing can make things look a lot worse than they rerally are.

[goblue97]

stupid DVR messed up and didnt' record it, anyone know if Hulu carries it?
I have no idea if hulu carries it or not (not even sure what hulu is) but there are always "the usual places" where this can be found.

[ClutchBrake]

I'm guessing that the thing you are referring to was during the previews for next week, right? If so, he didn't train under Joe Scarola did he? <just kidding> I was surprised to see Mir involved in that exchange but then again, editing can make things look a lot worse than they rerally are.

You know, until you mentioned that I hadn't really thought about it. I just thought it meant his fight with Junie.

People are making a huge deal about Mir questioning his black belt on other forums but I don't see what the big deal is. They are just trying to take him out of the game with psychological warfare. A bit rude, but fair play in my book.

The mental aspect is a huge part of the fight game. Look at what happened to Team Mir's LW Shane Nelson a couple of weeks ago. As soon as Dana told him he was first you could see Shane deflate. Roli said the performance Shane put on during that fight was NOT a reflection of what he is capable of. He says Shane is a much better fighter but he went in there crushed mentally and it showed. No disrepect to Efrain though. He is a good fighter as well and beat Shane fair and square.

[pjenkins]

You know, until you mentioned that I hadn't really thought about it. I just thought it meant his fight with Junie.

so your trainer is the tall guy that takes on Junie next week (i assume, i haven't seen this weeks... Junie didn't fight this week did he?)

[ClutchBrake]

so your trainer is the tall guy that takes on Junie next week (i assume, i haven't seen this weeks... Junie didn't fight this week did he?)

Yeah, Roli is my coach. He fights Junie next week.

[ClutchBrake]

The big day is finally here! I can't wait for tonight's fight.

My prediction:
Junie by decision, Round 3.

[bareyb]

I'm curious to see what all the black belt talk by Mir is about. I am guessing that Mir watched Roli "roll" and decided he didn't know enough to be a "true black belt", or at least he decided to accuse him of it.

I have to say, I was a bigger fan of Frank Mir before I saw him as a coach on TUF. I'm still a fan, but he's not as cool as I thought he was from seeing him commentate on the WEC. That's a low blow to accuse someone of being a fake unless he knows for a fact that it's true. If it's just a mental game, I think it crosses the line. That's something a lot of folks might believe, and it could affect Roli's income as a coach. It certainly puts a shadow on his reputation. :down:

[ClutchBrake]

I'm curious to see what all the black belt talk by Mir is about. I am guessing that Mir watched Roli "roll" and decided he didn't know enough to be a "true black belt", or at least he decided to accuse him of it.

I have to say, I was a bigger fan of Frank Mir before I saw him as a coach on TUF. I'm still a fan, but he's not as cool as I thought he was from seeing him commentate on the WEC. That's a low blow to accuse someone of being a fake unless he knows for a fact that it's true. If it's just a mental game, I think it crosses the line. That's something a lot of folks might believe, and it could affect Roli's income as a coach. It certainly puts a shadow on his reputation. :down:


My opinion of Mir has changed for the worse as well. Perhaps it is just editing though. One coach always seems to come off as the bad guy.

As for the whole black belt thing, it is just mind games. I haven't brought it up to Roli simply because I don't ask him about future show content. Typically he will comment on things as the show airs and that covers any questions I would ask.

I'm not sure how this will play out on tonight's episode. I do know Roli's credentials and if the issue isn't dead by the end of the show I will relay what I know. The bottom line is that he was trained as a Nova Unaio fighter, received a Gracie Barra black belt, and is now an independent. In fairness, without knowing the backstory that would certainly seem suspect to anyone.

[Philosofy]

Roli fought well. If he kept his hands up more, I think he would have pulled it off. I'm surprised he stood and banged: I expected him to take it to the ground. Anyway, it was a toss up, and Junie got lucky once again. That guy is the biggest ass the show has seen.

[ClutchBrake]

Roli fought well. If he kept his hands up more, I think he would have pulled it off. I'm surprised he stood and banged: I expected him to take it to the ground. Anyway, it was a toss up, and Junie got lucky once again. That guy is the biggest ass the show has seen.

Yeah, I'm real proud of Roli. He showed a lot of heart and a good chin.

The bottom line is that he couldn't take it to the ground. Junie was just too big and strong. Roli's natural fighting weight is 145lbs. I knew going in he would be the smallest and weakest guy in the house.

But Junie damn sure wasn't going to the ground when it went there. He later admitted that he had talked to the other guys in the house and was told how good Roli's ground game was. He said he wanted no part of it.

Perhaps it wouldn't have made a difference, but I thought it was criminal how long the ref let Junie just stand over Roli in the third round. That was a good two minutes that should have been stood up after 30 seconds.

[Fool Me Twice]

Meh. Not a good fight. Junie looked lethargic, and his punches didn't have much pop to them (I just can't give Roli credit for a good chin with that skinny head and neck). Plus he fought like the idiot he is for the first round.

And I don't care for Roli. His ground game might be fantastic, but he has no way of getting the fight there as far as I can tell. I've seen no glimpse of talent from him to make me think he can make it as a UFC fighter. He was fortunate to come off looking respectable, I think. Of course, all the raw talent Junie has won't do him much good if he can't get his head straight.

[Magister]

I am another that was disappointed in Roli. He had about zero power in his punches and just seemed to be there. If Junie wasn't already tired and beat up from the weight cutting then it would have been over in the 2nd.

First round to Roli since he was scoring head shots when Junie let him. Pretty Stupid of Junie
Second Round to Junie, he had turned it up a notch. Wasn't this the round that it looked like Roli was out?

Third to Junie, Roli just can't punch hard and fast enough. While both looked crappy, I think Juni did enough.

Neither fighter impressed me. Junie didn't cut weight in time and Roli just couldn't take him down at all. Sad...

[pjenkins]

add me to the list of people not impressed with Roli - is he perhaps at the wrong weight (or is dropping down hard for someone already so skinny/tall?). I'm sure he's a great guy ClutchBrake, but can you really say he looked like he belongs in the UFC?

[ireland967]

add me to the list of people not impressed with Roli - is he perhaps at the wrong weight (or is dropping down hard for someone already so skinny/tall?). I'm sure he's a great guy ClutchBrake, but can you really say he looked like he belongs in the UFC?

It's already been mentioned that Roli fights at 145 usually. That said, he did seem very outmatched physically, he clearly couldn't trade punches with Junie but didn't make many efforts to bring it to the ground himself. Even in the first round, Junie was constantly backing Roli up - if Junie could have held his ego in check he could have ended it quickly while he still had strength.

Both fighters seemed to be gassed midway through the second round. I really thought Roli would try to bring in his ground game in the third and look for submissions. CB - I'm curious if you've heard and can share any of Roli's gameplan for the fight?

[ClutchBrake]

CB - I'm curious if you've heard and can share any of Roli's gameplan for the fight?

I watched it with him last night but didn't spend much time talking to him afterwards because so many other people wanted to. I'm in Chicago for a few days and when I get back he'll be in Miami training at Nog's gym. When he gets back I'll hit him up for his thoughts.

[bareyb]

Well I was hoping Junie would get his ass kicked, but I'll settle for this. He won't be running around the house bragging about THAT fight. Junie looked totally gassed in the first round and Roli was taking him apart. If Junie thought Roli's ground game wasn't legit, then he sure went to a lot of trouble not to find out for real. Junie wanted NO part of Roli's ground game and really he just looked scared to me. I had high hopes for Roli after round one. Round one goes to Roli.

In round two, Junie seemed to wake up a little, but was still throwing slow, ham and egg punches without much on them. He did land some really vicious, looping, body shots though, and I think that was the factor for round two. The body shots seemed to have taken some of the steam out of Roli and it took him a while to recover. Round two goes to Junie.

I was glad there was a round three and both fighters seemed to have recovered a bit. Which surprised me, because I was beginning to think both fighters were too gassed for a round three! It was a pretty good slug fest, but I think Roli should have taken it to the ground once Junie found his range. It's hard to tell, but Junie doesn't seem to be very BJJ proficient. He sure avoids the ground like the plague. That's probably the biggest hole in his game and if Roli could have gotten him down he may have subbed him.

The best thing about his fight, is that it took Junie down a notch and regardless of the loss, I think it was a good effort by Roli. He has nothing to be ashamed of. Good fight all in all for a "house fight". I hope Roli gets another shot in the UFC or perhaps at 145 in the WEC. I think he showed a lot of heart. He really needs to trim down the back story on his Black Belt though. Leave out all the details and just keep it simple. ;)

[ClutchBrake]

The body shots seemed to have taken some of the steam out of Roli and it took him a while to recover. Round two goes to Junie.

It was a pretty good slug fest, but I think Roli should have taken it to the ground once Junie found his range. It's hard to tell, but Junie doesn't seem to be very BJJ proficient. He sure avoids the ground like the plague. That's probably the biggest hole in his game and if Roli could have gotten him down he may have subbed him.

Yeah, he commented on the body shots last night. He said he'd always heard about a really good body shot making it so that your body would instinctively keep your arms down. He said that was the first time it had happened to him.

Roli would have loved to have taken it to the ground, he simply couldn't get it there though. Junie, and every other guy in the house, were just too strong for him.

Junie definitely has a ground game. A good one, in fact, for a purple(?) belt. Heck, his fight before the prelims he finished with a triangle just as Dana had told him. That being said, he and his team knew Roli was on another level and were not going to go there. Smart game plan, because even though Roli isn't strong he is incredibly smooth and natural on the ground and his technique allows him to handle stronger opponents. Of course that is a whole different ball of wax than MMA though!

[bareyb]

CB. Have you gotten a sense of how Roli feels about the whole experience? Did he feel like it was a positive one or is it something he'd never do again for all the money in the world? I can't even imagine the stress of living in that house! :D

[ClutchBrake]

CB. Have you gotten a sense of how Roli feels about the whole experience? Did he feel like it was a positive one or is it something he'd never do again for all the money in the world? I can't even imagine the stress of living in that house! :D

Here is an interview from MMA Junkie where they ask just that, as well as a number of other questions. (http://mmajunkie.com/news/13080/ten-tuf-questions-roli-delgado-on-week-no-6.mma) Since I won't see him for another week or two it's probably the best insight you'll get. I'll also post a link to his blog when it goes up.

[bareyb]

Good article. Thanks! :up:

[goblue97]

Well I was hoping Junie would get his ass kicked, but I'll settle for this. He won't be running around the house bragging about THAT fight. Junie looked totally gassed in the first round and Roli was taking him apart. If Junie thought Roli's ground game wasn't legit, then he sure went to a lot of trouble not to find out for real. Junie wanted NO part of Roli's ground game and really he just looked scared to me. I had high hopes for Roli after round one. Round one goes to Roli.

In round two, Junie seemed to wake up a little, but was still throwing slow, ham and egg punches without much on them. He did land some really vicious, looping, body shots though, and I think that was the factor for round two. The body shots seemed to have taken some of the steam out of Roli and it took him a while to recover. Round two goes to Junie.

I was glad there was a round three and both fighters seemed to have recovered a bit. Which surprised me, because I was beginning to think both fighters were too gassed for a round three! It was a pretty good slug fest, but I think Roli should have taken it to the ground once Junie found his range. It's hard to tell, but Junie doesn't seem to be very BJJ proficient. He sure avoids the ground like the plague. That's probably the biggest hole in his game and if Roli could have gotten him down he may have subbed him.

The best thing about his fight, is that it took Junie down a notch and regardless of the loss, I think it was a good effort by Roli. He has nothing to be ashamed of. Good fight all in all for a "house fight". I hope Roli gets another shot in the UFC or perhaps at 145 in the WEC. I think he showed a lot of heart. He really needs to trim down the back story on his Black Belt though. Leave out all the details and just keep it simple. ;)
Nice post!!! I don't think I can disagree with any of it and you saved me a lot of typing.

[bareyb]

Hey don't forget to setup your TiVo for "Silva vs. Cote" this Saturday night. Obviously I expect Sliva to win, but I think Patrick will surprise people, if recent history is any indicator.

Side Note: There's a very good "Countdown to the UFC 90" AND an "All Access - Anderson Silva" airing multiple times on SPIKE right now with some interesting back story on Silva, Cote, and Josh Koscheck. Koscheck trains down the street from here and I've seen him going in and out of AKA a couple of times. He's kind of a dick on TV, but he's growing on me. He's fighting Thiago Alves after his recent win over Matt Hughes. Should be a great fight. It was supposed to be Alves vs. Diego Sanchez but Sanchez had to back out due to an injury I believe. Which is fine with me, I think the Koscheck fight will be better anyway.

So setup the PPV's. It should be a decent night of fights. I'm sure somebody will set up a thread for it. Maybe we should just set up an "All Inclusive MMA Thread" to cover ALL the MMA events since it mostly the same group of us discussing all the fights? That way whenever there's a post we'll get an email... What do you guys think about that? Good idea or a separate thread for each event? I'll be happy to set it up if everyone thinks it's a good idea.

[goblue97]

I'm sure somebody will set up a thread for it. Maybe we should just set up an "All Inclusive MMA Thread" to cover ALL the MMA events since it mostly the same group of us discussing all the fights? That way whenever there's a post we'll get an email... What do you guys think about that? Good idea or a separate thread for each event? I'll be happy to set it up if everyone thinks it's a good idea.
I would vote for separate threads for individual events due to spoiler issues. I may not get to watch UFC 90 until later in the week but I'd hate to miss out on any other MMA discussion.

[bareyb]

I would vote for separate threads for individual events due to spoiler issues. I may not get to watch UFC 90 until later in the week but I'd hate to miss out on any other MMA discussion.

Yeah. That occurred to me after I posted that. Makes sense. I'll set up a thread for the upcoming UFC 90. :up:

[bareyb]

Okay. UFC 90 thread posted here: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=408708

[JLucPicard]

I'm sure Roli's a great guy and all, but I also was not impressed with his performance against Junie.

Round 1 definitely was Roli's round and Junie did look like making weight really took it's toll.

Round 2, though, to me, looked like Roli was doing nothing but catching for 4:50. His flurry(?) in the last ten seconds seemed like the only thing keeping that from being a 10-8 round and I thought he was lucky to get a third round.

Sure would have loved to see Junie done this week, though.

[bareyb]

Something really seemed to be "wrong" with both of them. Maybe it was the "Octagon effect"? They both seemed to gas early. Either way, Mir isn't happy and judging by next week's promo, EVERYONE is going to be doing lots of cardio drills next week. :D

[KungFuCow]

Something really seemed to be "wrong" with both of them. Maybe it was the "Octagon effect"? They both seemed to gas early. Either way, Mir isn't happy and judging by next week's promo, EVERYONE is going to be doing lots of cardio drills next week. :D

And thats like the pot calling the kettle black.. Mir has never had a gas tank.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

Count me in with those that wanted to see Junie in the "L" column. I doubt that this loss will do much to shut him up. ESPECIALLY if he gets drunk again. The way I see it, he will see it as a win. That will validate his claims that no one in the house can beat him. He won't see like we did in that Roli beat him in the first round and made the fight last three rounds.

It really bugs me that this s***head is from Kentucky.

I agree that round 1 was all Roli. He was keeping Junie at arms length and scoring punches at will. None of them had much steam on them but he was in charge.

2nd round was going ok until Junie popped Roli in the body a few times. After that it was all Junie. Both fighters looked tired as hell by the end of the round.

3rd round was Juni's but Roli had a few glimmers of hope.

[ClutchBrake]

Something really seemed to be "wrong" with both of them. Maybe it was the "Octagon effect"?

Roli gave it everything he had and came up short. He'll make no excuses, that just isn't him. Even in his interviews since the episode aired he states that it was a good decision and he knows Junie won the fight.

That being said, I'll make excuses! :D ;) I'm not saying Roli is the greatest and would set the 145lb divsion on fire, but we definitely didn't see him at his best. Until TUF he hadn't competed in MMA since 3/07 due to a torn labrum and the surgery required to repair it. Going into TUF he was just starting back with training and only really going full speed between the time he made it to the prelims (late April) to when he left for the show (mid May).

He has good low kicks but we didn't see a lot of them due to a shin injury he received in his prelim fight. If you've noticed him during what we've seen of the season thus far you'll see him with an icepack on his shin quite often. There was one kick he checked in the Junie fight that tore up Junie's ankle pretty good. He recovered in a few days though.

I'm not sure where he goes from here. I'd love to eventually see him in the WEC. Featherweight is where he needs to be. Or who knows, maybe he'll bulk up and move to Lightweight.

Right now he is renovating a house not far from the gym. He'll be using it to house a Muay Thai coach he's bringing in. It will let the gym bring in other coaches long term as well. It's great for all of us.

Oh, and for those questioning his black belt, check out who won the NO GI Men's Expert Feather Weight division at the 2007 NAGA U.S. Nationals (https://www.nagafighter.com/usnationals07_results_nogi.asp). Also check out the results of the NO GI Men's Advanced Featherweight division of the 2008 Arnolds Grappling Championship (https://www.nagafighter.com/arnolds2008_results_nogi.asp). That was his return to competition for his 2007 injury. Check out the names of competitors and teams that fielded grapplers at those events. You're going to see names and teams like Monson, Renzo Gracie, American Top Team, Lutter, Saulo Ribiero, Jorge Gurgel, etc.

[ClutchBrake]

Count me in with those that wanted to see Junie in the "L" column. I doubt that this loss will do much to shut him up. ESPECIALLY if he gets drunk again. The way I see it, he will see it as a win. That will validate his claims that no one in the house can beat him. He won't see like we did in that Roli beat him in the first round and made the fight last three rounds.

Well, Roli has said Junie was a completely different person to him from that point forward. Said he treated him almost like a buddy. He's also said that while we obviously see everything crappy Junie has done there is a lot more to him that that. He says Junie isn't really a bad guy and does a lot of good things as well, we just don't see that.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

Well, Roli has said Junie was a completely different person to him from that point forward. Said he treated him almost like a buddy. He's also said that while we obviously see everything crappy Junie has done there is a lot more to him that that. He says Junie isn't really a bad guy and does a lot of good things as well, we just don't see that.
Please tell me they don't start bunking together. :p

[bareyb]

Well, Roli has said Junie was a completely different person to him from that point forward. Said he treated him almost like a buddy. He's also said that while we obviously see everything crappy Junie has done there is a lot more to him that that. He says Junie isn't really a bad guy and does a lot of good things as well, we just don't see that.

Well. I have to say, I'm glad to hear that because that guy was really starting to get on my nerves. Not to overstate the obvious, but I think the dudes an alcoholic. If he really wants to succeed in the UFC for real, he's gonna have to follow Chris Leben and Josh Koscheck's lead and leave the booze alone entirely. If he doesn't he won't get far. That dude has some serious issues. :D

[Fool Me Twice]

I can definitely see Roli being a terror on the mat at featherweight with those long limbs.

[fmowry]

I can definitely see Roli being a terror on the mat at featherweight with those long limbs.

Even at featherweight though he's gong to be muscled around and have trouble taking guys to the mat.

Jens Pulver, Cub Swanson, Uriah Faber. That's a killer division in the WEC.

Frank

[Fool Me Twice]

I don't mean mma, but grappling. And I've never seen him grapple obviously, but he's an unusual body size for that weight. I can see that causing trouble--especially if he's as talented as we've been told.

[ClutchBrake]

For anyone that doubted me when I said Roli was a nice guy with a sense of humor, I give you the Westside Halloween party featuring Rolando McDojo:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/CB_HomeTheater/rolihalloween.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/CB_HomeTheater/rolihalloween2.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/CB_HomeTheater/rolihalloween3.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/CB_HomeTheater/rolihalloween4.jpg

[bareyb]

LOL. The guy playing Junie with the hand grenade Tat is pretty good too. :D

[fmowry]

That's funny as hell. Kudos to the dude for not having a big head like many of the guys that go through the house.

Frank

[Philosofy]

Well. I have to say, I'm glad to hear that because that guy was really starting to get on my nerves. Not to overstate the obvious, but I think the dudes an alcoholic. If he really wants to succeed in the UFC for real, he's gonna have to follow Chris Leben and Josh Koscheck's lead and leave the booze alone entirely. If he doesn't he won't get far. That dude has some serious issues. :D
At the end of the fight, Mir and Junie apologized for the black belt stuff, and Mir made a comment, something like "you know what they tell them to do..." I'm pretty sure the athletes are coached to do wild and outrageous stuff, and Junie isn't smart enough to know where the line is.

[ClutchBrake]

Here is Roli's blog from the episode featuring his fight with Junie (http://mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7425&zoneid=4).

[bareyb]

Here is Roli's blog from the episode featuring his fight with Junie (http://mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=7425&zoneid=4).

Good Article. I thought it was kind of ironic that now Frank Mir is being scrutinized for awarding somebody a black belt who had only been a student for two years. I guess what goes around comes around. :p

[bareyb]

At the end of the fight, Mir and Junie apologized for the black belt stuff, and Mir made a comment, something like "you know what they tell them to do..." I'm pretty sure the athletes are coached to do wild and outrageous stuff, and Junie isn't smart enough to know where the line is.

Sounds like it and I hope you're right about him. I guess time will tell. Hopefully he won't get drunk and break any limousines at the local casino. If he does, it's off to AA for him! ;)

[Philosofy]

For all Jules' game plan about hitting Vinny, he really didn't try to throw much, did he? I erased it already, but did he even throw one combination?

[ClutchBrake]

For all Jules' game plan about hitting Vinny, he really didn't try to throw much, did he? I erased it already, but did he even throw one combination?

Yeah, I think Dana White was spot-on about that fight. Poor Jules looked completely out of place in the Octagon.

I don't like Vinny but can't wait to see him in the Octagon again. I'd love to see more of him on the ground. :up:

[Jebberwocky!]

Yeah, I think Dana White was spot-on about that fight. Poor Jules looked completely out of place in the Octagon.

I don't like Vinny but can't wait to see him in the Octagon again. I'd love to see more of him on the ground. :up:

I liked how Vinny lied to Nog about what he said about him (His JJ is basic) and told him the cameras don't lie. Good arguement :rolleyes:

[ClutchBrake]

I liked how Vinny lied to Nog about what he said about him (His JJ is basic) and told him the cameras don't lie. Good arguement :rolleyes:

According to Roli the argument between Big Nog and Vinny related to what Vinny was saying in the house, not to Mir at practice. That happened after Big Nog confronted Vinny. It's my understanding what he was saying in the house was worse, denegrating both Big Nog and Daniel Valverde. Somewhat in contrast to the fact that when you see Big Nog and his staff at the house you see Vinny several times hanging out by the red team wanting to be a part of it.

I haven't liked Vinny since he pissed on Efrain's pillow. And then the incident when he got his panties in a wad over Krzysztof and Marshall commenting that they wanted to be in the finals together. His ego is gigantic.

He is also, apparently, the main instigator behind giving Roli grief about his black belt. Kinda funny that he was saying the same crap about Big Nog and Daniel Valverde! Makes you realize how laughable the whole situation was.

That being said, I don't doubt Vinny's abilities on the ground for a second. I can't wait to see more. Heck, I'm going to try to find some of his stuff online. His movements in training were really quite interesting.

[Jebberwocky!]

in other words he's a DB.

with somne good BJJ

[Barryrod]

According to Roli the argument between Big Nog and Vinny related to what Vinny was saying in the house, not to Mir at practice. That happened after Big Nog confronted Vinny. It's my understanding what he was saying in the house was worse, denegrating both Big Nog and Daniel Valverde. Somewhat in contrast to the fact that when you see Big Nog and his staff at the house you see Vinny several times hanging out by the red team wanting to be a part of it.

I haven't liked Vinny since he pissed on Efrain's pillow. And then the incident when he got his panties in a wad over Krzysztof and Marshall commenting that they wanted to be in the finals together. His ego is gigantic.

He is also, apparently, the main instigator behind giving Roli grief about his black belt. Kinda funny that he was saying the same crap about Big Nog and Daniel Valverde! Makes you realize how laughable the whole situation was.

That being said, I don't doubt Vinny's abilities on the ground for a second. I can't wait to see more. Heck, I'm going to try to find some of his stuff online. His movements in training were really quite interesting.


I noticed that when Vinny was talking trash to Mir, his hair was dyed blond for the fight but when he was confronted by Nog it was still dark. They did some creative editing on that episode :rolleyes:

[Magister]

Vinny's flying arm bar reminded me of some of the Royce Gracie promos from UFC 2 and 3. He was demo'ing a Flying Arm bar there... but to be honest, Vinny's looks much more impressive. Royce's was based off of a monkey throw into the arm bar, Vinny just jumps up.

I hope we get to see some impressive BJJ in the future on the show. So far the fights haven't been very impressive.

[Philosofy]

I saw a video on Youtube once, and couldn't find it again. It was some Japanese chick who does MMA, and she was slapping the flying arm bar, and other impressive techniques, like they were nothing. Anyone know who this girl is?

[ClutchBrake]

I saw a video on Youtube once, and couldn't find it again. It was some Japanese chick who does MMA, and she was slapping the flying arm bar, and other impressive techniques, like they were nothing. Anyone know who this girl is?

The first (and only, for me, really) thought that comes to me is Megumi Fujii. I saw her fight in BodogFight.

[Philosofy]

The first (and only, for me, really) thought that comes to me is Megumi Fujii. I saw her fight in BodogFight.

It might be her, but I'm not sure. The video I saw was more of a highlight reel, and I can't find one on her.

[bareyb]

It might be her, but I'm not sure. The video I saw was more of a highlight reel, and I can't find one on her.

If this is her she is pretty quick. Check out this ankle lock (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJjZa5CXoWM). ;)

[Philosofy]

Whoa! Fixed link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJjZa5CXoWM

[The Flush]

For all Jules' game plan about hitting Vinny, he really didn't try to throw much, did he? I erased it already, but did he even throw one combination?

I don't think he has thrown a punch in 2 straight fights now.

[The Flush]

One of my favorite submissions ever was a flying leg lock that some Japanese fighter put on Anderson Silva in a PRIDE fight.

[ClutchBrake]

One of my favorite submissions ever was a flying leg lock that some Japanese fighter put on Anderson Silva in a PRIDE fight.

Ryo Chonan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb5B6xBZiX8

[pjenkins]

Ryo Chonan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb5B6xBZiX8

wow, that was amazing.

[TAsunder]

That armbar was very impressive. For some reason I like Vinny less than Junie. There's something about seeing the ups and downs of Junie that make me like him more than I should. I like how down on himself he was for his performance and his cardio. That's impressive for someone who talks a lot to be able to admit his errors and problems so easily.

[ClutchBrake]

Junie obviously has issues. A lot of them.

Vinny just seems like an egotistical d-bag. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that he doesn't just seem like one, but actually is one.

[UTV2TiVo]

+1 on Vinnie being a Dbag.

Junie is an immature ass but at least he looks like he could change over time. Whereas Vinnie's probably always going to be a D.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

One of my favorite submissions ever was a flying leg lock that some Japanese fighter put on Anderson Silva in a PRIDE fight.
I remember the first time I saw that. I couldn't believe it. How do you prepare for that and successfully defend against it?

[Ment]

The fruit tray vs sushi! OMG that is one the most funny yet disgusting pranks in TUF history. Nover is the real deal. Is Mir a bad judge of talent? Kaplan got rocked. Recovered on the ground. Got hammerfisted, then gave up his back for the easy RNC.

[pjenkins]

The fruit tray vs sushi! OMG that is one the most funny yet disgusting pranks in TUF history. Nover is the real deal. Is Mir a bad judge of talent? Kaplan got rocked. Recovered on the ground. Got hammerfisted, then gave up his back for the easy RNC.

i don't think he really recovered from the initial punches...

great episode with the fruit and sushi, really comical {reminded me of all those types of stupid sheit we'd do in the fraternity house in college ;)}

[The Flush]

Best and most disgusting pranks ever. You would think that once the Mir team pulled off the fruit tray prank, that they would expect some type of retaliation and would not steal the other team's food.

Nover looks good and seems like a good guy. I hope he goes far.

[Magister]

Agreed, incredibley funny episode. These were friendly pranks requireing the target to do something bad to take the bait.

The fight was pretty stupid. Lasts weeks fight was pretty bad as well. So next round, we shoudl see 2 good fighters against each other.

[ireland967]

Another one-sided fight - I always seem to notice how much time is left in the program when I FF through the last commercial before the fight, and it's pretty easy to tell when it's going to be over quickly.

Kaplan got absolutely rocked, and had no business still saying he was the better fighter after.

[TAsunder]

This was the most disgusting episode of TUF yet. Not necessarily a bad thing. Two bodily fluids + Balut = gross.

What exactly was Kaplan's "game plan" that supposedly went wrong? He got rocked within a few seconds. Was he planning on running around and hiding or something?

[ClutchBrake]

What exactly was Kaplan's "game plan" that supposedly went wrong? He got rocked within a few seconds. Was he planning on running around and hiding or something?

LOL. :)

He's still the better fighter, of course.

Weak episode overall. I watched it live and won't make this mistake again.

[laststarfighter]

I watched a clip of the post fight talk between Kaplan and Mir. Mir seriously thinks Kaplan is the best fighter among everyone on the show. The whole clip was basically them saying "You're awesome", "No you're awesome" exchanges back and forth for five minutes.

[pjenkins]

one thing i wish they would do a lot more of is show the training sessions and instruction that they are supposedly receiving. being new to MMA (and wrestling as well), i have no idea what a lot of the terminology is, or why they do certain things, and having a more in-depth look at the training would be of great interest/entertainment...

[The Flush]

You and me both.

[bareyb]

I could've lived without all the bodily fluid stuff myself. I guess that just isn't my sense of humor. Then again, I wouldn't have been stupid enough to poach food after the fruit platter prank. :D

That guy who won that fight has some skills. I was pretty impressed. Not NEARLY as impressed as Dana White. I think he's pretty decent, but "the next GSP"? Not so sure I agree with that. :p

[Magister]

one thing i wish they would do a lot more of is show the training sessions and instruction that they are supposedly receiving. being new to MMA (and wrestling as well), i have no idea what a lot of the terminology is, or why they do certain things, and having a more in-depth look at the training would be of great interest/entertainment...

Watch more of the UFC stuff on Spike. TUF doesn't get into it as much as the actual fight shows.

[goblue97]

one thing i wish they would do a lot more of is show the training sessions and instruction that they are supposedly receiving. being new to MMA (and wrestling as well), i have no idea what a lot of the terminology is, or why they do certain things, and having a more in-depth look at the training would be of great interest/entertainment...
You could also look for some of the Bas Rutten instructional videos. He's a pretty entertaining guy and he knows his MMA.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

The bodily fluid was disgusting and not at all funny. I don't think the food stealing needed to be dealt with, but the way they did it was out of line.

[The Flush]

Drunk Kaplan getting knocked out was funny.

The fight was relatively boring. I wonder if Krzysztof's hand was still hurting bad. He keeps his hands far apart and looks like he leaves himself open, although it does not look that much different than Chuck Lidell.

[2004raptor]

Drunk Kaplan getting knocked out was funny.



If you though that was funny you might like this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdfM8K1EuJ4

[ClutchBrake]

I wonder if Krzysztof's hand was still hurting bad. He keeps his hands far apart and looks like he leaves himself open, although it does not look that much different than Chuck Lidell.

He mentioned in his blog that the boxing coach they brought in to work with him had him working on that style. The idea is to keep your hands a bit lower and wider apart with good head movment. Supposed to help you see more clearly and make it harder for your opponent to know when punches are coming since your hands aren't at your chin.

[Philosofy]

I'm losing respect for Mir. He gave such a half hearted attempt at goalie, and his guys would have won $1000 each if he had just given a little effort. And then calling them a bunch of loser for rooting for their coach! Hypocrite.

[Philosofy]

I've looked at ufc.com, but can't find what sports bars in my area will have the fight. You'd think they would make it easy to watch their stuff, but no...

Anybody have a link to where the fight will be broadcast?

[EvilMidniteBombr]

I've looked at ufc.com, but can't find what sports bars in my area will have the fight. You'd think they would make it easy to watch their stuff, but no...

Anybody have a link to where the fight will be broadcast?
I am going with a few friends to Hooters to watch it. If you don't have one near you I've heard that Buffalo Wild Wings shows the UFC pay per views. Find one of the above near you and give them a call to and ask.

[The Flush]

I thought Roop won both rounds and don't know why Dana and others were whining about the judges.

How sad is it to lose to a one armed guy?

I also think it is a little unfair for Roop to have to fight in the first lightweight semi sense he just fought in the last fight. They should give him the extra rest. I wonder how many days there are between his 2 fights?

[bareyb]

I thought Roop won both rounds and don't know why Dana and others were whining about the judges.

How sad is it to lose to a one armed guy?

I also think it is a little unfair for Roop to have to fight in the first lightweight semi sense he just fought in the last fight. They should give him the extra rest. I wonder how many days there are between his 2 fights?

I think they wanted a 3rd round. They seemed to think it went one round each. I agree with you though. I think Roop won both rounds. He was kicking ass in round one until the end when he got taken down. Mostly nothing happened after the takedown (kind of a "lay and pray") so I didn't give it much credence.

[ClutchBrake]

I couldn't for the life of me understand why anyone would think it was going to a third round. BUT... one thing I learned at UFC 90 is that the fight you see in person and the same fight people see on camera can seem very, VERY different.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

I was actually wanting Huggy Bear to win. I think the guy is a dink but still wanted to see him with his hand raised.

[ahartman]

I also think it is a little unfair for Roop to have to fight in the first lightweight semi sense he just fought in the last fight. They should give him the extra rest. I wonder how many days there are between his 2 fights?

When they made the semi fights didn't they say all the fights would be Wed & Thur? I'm not sure 1 day would make a difference either way.

[goblue97]

Does anyone know if this week's episode is a new one or not? My guide is saying that there will be back to back repeats tonight.

[ahartman]

Does anyone know if this week's episode is a new one or not? My guide is saying that there will be back to back repeats tonight.

According to Spike's website, there's 4 repeats tonite, nothing new. First semi fight is next week 12/3.

[The Flush]

Boring semi-finals.

I think that Krzysztof and Vinny are the best 2 light heavyweights and wish they met in the finals instead of the semis. Bader's lay-n-pray did not impress me.

Phillipe is easily the best lightweight.

Junie is an idiot who I hope gets a life one day.

[ClutchBrake]

I'm interested to see what his time at Xtreme Couture has done for Junie since the show.

Roli is fighting Polakowski at the finale. I'm flying out to be there.

[mrowe8]

Junie is a complete ****** bag. I would of loved to see him not tap so soon in the second so that he could of been abused and had his arse kicked completely. I should of known he had no heart/guts and would tap as soon as he had the chance. I have a feeling the sun will not set on this horses azz as soon as it should and we will be subjected to his idiocy for months to come. Unfortunately natural selection seems to of missed this guy as well as all of the Kentucky storms that take so many trailer homes every year.

[Fool Me Twice]

Efraim had better not use that strategery against Phillipe, he'll get pummeled. I'd like to see Phillipe up against a good striker, just to see how good he really is. But, maybe Efraim can test his ground game. Looks like Dana is ready to sign him up.

Vinny is pretty scary when he's pulling guard--both fighters know he's about to pull you into his world. Not scary so much when striking... I can't see Bader winning that fight. The fight will go to the ground and Vinny will catch him eventually.

Junie vs Kaplan? Both of those guys think much too highly of themselves. I don't remember Kaplan every displaying any actual skill, so... I guess Junie will be the favorite. Junie got less and less impressive on the show, maybe the time away will do him good.


Roli is fighting Polakowski at the finale. I'm flying out to be there.Are they going to hug?:D

[EvilMidniteBombr]

This was two separate episodes wasn't it? Cause I saw Bader's and the Fainter's fights and deleted the second because I thought it was a rerun.

[The Flush]

Yes there were 2 separate episodes back to back. My guide data did not have descriptions for either episode, but they both got recorded.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

Crud! I guess I'll have to record it again. This time, I'll actually watch it.

[Philosofy]

I hope I never see Junie in the UFC again. What a quitter, whiner, and bully! Flipping burgers is too good a job for him: let him wash toilets.

[Magister]

I hope I never see Junie in the UFC again. What a quitter, whiner, and bully! Flipping burgers is too good a job for him: let him wash toilets.

Janitors tend to get paid more than fast food burger jockies...

[ClutchBrake]

I hope I never see Junie in the UFC again. What a quitter, whiner, and bully! Flipping burgers is too good a job for him: let him wash toilets.

Well, you'll see him Saturday night if you watch the finale. His fight against Kaplan is scheduled to be on the broadcast.

[Ment]

Well, you'll see him Saturday night if you watch the finale. His fight against Kaplan is scheduled to be on the broadcast.

I can't believe Junie is going to fight again under the UFC umbrella. This is getting to be MME not MMA..

[ClutchBrake]

I can't believe Junie is going to fight again under the UFC umbrella. This is getting to be MME not MMA..

In fairness, ALL the fighters from this season are fighting on the finale card.

I really believe Junie has talent. He is just a colossal wreck psychologically. That's really not anything new for fighters.

I know I should hate Junie. How he treated Roli gives me plenty of reason to. But after hearing Roli talk about him I just can't. If he gets his head on straight I think he could be a solid fighter.

[Philosofy]

No posts on the finale? I glad Bader won: that dude is going to be a badass! I was rooting for Felipe, but it was a good fight nonetheless.

And, even though Junie showed some class with his apology, I still don't want him to succeed.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

As much as I hate to say it, Junie looked good in his bout. Hopefully the idiot will turn his life around and actually become a contender. But I'd still rather see him get pwned everytime he steps into the octagon.

The rest of the show was pretty good.

[The Flush]

Ephraim had a good game plan and impressed me. He made it look like Phillipe did not prepare for the fight.

I was disappointing that Vinny could not take a punch better than the one that knocked him down. I thought that should have been a better fight.

Nice KOs by Anthony Johnson and Wilson Gouveia (although it sicked he could not make weight).

Junie actually looked like a fighter, but he still appears to be an ass.

[Fool Me Twice]

Bader looked scared to death before the fight started. Good thing Vinny had no actual gameplan other than to try and be a kickboxer.

Phillipe is no GSP. Ephraim was the first good fighter he's faced, and his straight on style didn't work so well.. Maybe don't try to kick a wrestler next time.

Junie looked sharp.

Were there a lot of empty seats? Or was that just for the early fights.

[bareyb]

Ephraim had a good game plan and impressed me. He made it look like Phillipe did not prepare for the fight.

I was disappointing that Vinny could not take a punch better than the one that knocked him down. I thought that should have been a better fight.

Nice KOs by Anthony Johnson and Wilson Gouveia (although it sicked he could not make weight).

Junie actually looked like a fighter, but he still appears to be an ass.

This. I too have to admit Junie looks way better than he did in the house. Probably working with top trainers really taught him a lot. I expect we'll see him on big cards if he keeps winning. So as big an ass as he is, in the end, it seems to have helped his career. On the other hand, now he has to put up or shut up. If he loses a couple in a row he'll be gone. I do think he got tossed a softball this last time. Although you gotta love the dudes walk on music. Dana prolly wants to make some money off him for awhile. :p

[EvilMidniteBombr]

I already deleted the show, what music did Junie use?

[fmowry]

I already deleted the show, what music did Junie use?

Eminem, Guess Who's Back I think.

Frank

[EvilMidniteBombr]

Eminem, Guess Who's Back I think.

FrankOh yeah. I remember it was Eminem something. Thanks

[bareyb]

I already deleted the show, what music did Junie use?

Sorry I didn't get back sooner. I was actually referencing his opponents walk on music. I can never remember the dudes name though.... Gabe Kaplan? Anyway, he used some silly goofy AM Radio type song and kind of did this little sissy dance coming in. At the time I thought it was pretty funny. I have certainly never seen anything like THAT before. It would have been better had he then backed it up by winning, but oh well.... Still funny. :D

[Ment]

Bader looked scared to death before the fight started. Good thing Vinny had no actual gameplan other than to try and be a kickboxer.

Phillipe is no GSP. Ephraim was the first good fighter he's faced, and his straight on style didn't work so well.. Maybe don't try to kick a wrestler next time.

Junie looked sharp.

Were there a lot of empty seats? Or was that just for the early fights.

Bader has serious hands cause he hit Vinny with a glancing punch similar to what Brock hit Randy with.

Until Phillipe learns GSP-style standup defense.. he isn't the next GSP. He should have just used a good jab like BJ did against Sherk instead of kicking and swinging for the KO.

[EvilMidniteBombr]

Sorry I didn't get back sooner. I was actually referencing his opponents walk on music. I can never remember the dudes name though.... Gabe Kaplan? Anyway, he used some silly goofy AM Radio type song and kind of did this little sissy dance coming in. At the time I thought it was pretty funny. I have certainly never seen anything like THAT before. It would have been better had he then backed it up by winning, but oh well.... Still funny. :DNo problem. I wasn't in a hurry. ;) His opponent was David Kaplan. Turns out the dude was on some show called Singing Bee or some such. Basically, getting paid to sing karaoke. I can't find anything about what song he used.

[Fool Me Twice]

Sorry I didn't get back sooner. I was actually referencing his opponents walk on music. I can never remember the dudes name though.... Gabe Kaplan?

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/lateacher8/GabeKaplan.jpg
Gabe Kaplan will F U ^ !

[ClutchBrake]

I've been sick as a dog, and still am, but finally getting around to posting. You wouldn't believe what I went through to make it to Roli's fight on time. Anything that could go wrong on my way to Vegas did go wrong. My flight was cancelled, I got popped for a "personal" security check, my new flights were delayed, once I landed in Vegas there was not gate available for us, once I got off the plane I was at the wrong terminal and had to take a tram just to get to a taxi, once I got a taxi we got on the interstate and a lane was closed, once I got to the event and to the door (as I could hear Roli being introduced by Bruce Buffer) security made me take my bag back to the box office to check it, and when I finally burst through the auditorium door Josh Rosenthal said, "FIGHT!". I couldn't believe I'd made it.

I have to say it was pretty awesome. Roli fought John Polakowski and dominated the entire fight, both on the feet and on the ground. Roli dropped Polakowski in the first round with a flying knee out of nowhere. Followed him to the ground and worked for the rear naked and transitioned to a sweet armbar at the last second but couldn't sink it due to the cage. Round two was more of the same. Roli used his long legs to keep the distance but eventually it went to the ground. As Polakowski tried to scramble Roli sunk an arm-in guillotine for the tap. I was actually shocked he tapped. It looked like he was on the verge of popping his head out. I was super excited because his exit was just below my seat so he saw me on the way out and knew I'd made it (I'd texted him I probably wasn't going to make it because of my flights.)

The rest of the night was quite good as well. Stankie was sitting just up from me a bit. Steve Mazagatti's daughters were sitting just to the side of me so he was checking in on them quite a bit. Got to shake hands with a lot of the fighters when the show was over. Even got to shake hands with Cain Velasquez. That was pretty awesome. Everyone was mobbing the TUF guys and Velasquez was just off to the side by himself waiting for someone. No one was giving him so much as a glance. I shook his hand and told him I knew he was going to be great and wished him the best of luck in the future. I'm not entirely sure he understood exactly what I was saying but he smiled real big and shook my hand while nodding yes. Roli called me after the show was over and asked me out with them but I was already feeling terrible and just went to the hotel and went to bed. Had to be up first thing in the morning for the flight out. Which started another atrocious chain of events...

The only cool thing after that is that as I was waiting for my first flight of the day a guy sat down next to me at the airport. He started visiting with the guy he knew sitting across from him. His voice sounded familiar but I was too exhausted and feeling crappy to open my eyes. Finally he said something that registered with me and I knew who it was. Bruce Buffer! Super nice guy. Took a picture with him. I told him I'd been there because Roli was my coach. He couldn't say enough nice things about Roli. I didn't bother him after that but before leaving he shook my hand again and told me to make sure I told Roli congratulations for him.

And then when I was flying from LAX to Denver there was another celebrity on my plane. Silas Weir Mitchell. You might not know the name but you'd definitely know the face if you watch much TV. He is the go-to crazy looking guy for the last couple of years. He played Haywire on Prison Break and Donny Jones on My Name is Earl. I didn't speak to him but smiled real big and nodded when he walked by.

[Jebberwocky!]

Nice Review Clutch - hope you feel better soon.

I was disappointed not to see Roli fight - and too lazy to DL it ;)

[goblue97]

Nice Review Clutch - hope you feel better soon.

I was disappointed not to see Roli fight - and too lazy to DL it ;)
+1

I always like hearing these kinds of stories (minus the sickness). My Bruce Buffer meeting included a camera with batteries that had just dies. He tried not to take it personally that he had just broken my camera. He came across as really nice guy but something about him just seemed off. Maybe it's the way he dresses like a mobster or something.

[Jebberwocky!]

Former UFC fighter and wife found dead in home

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ys-mmaweekjl121708&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[goblue97]

Former UFC fighter and wife found dead in home

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ys-mmaweekjl121708&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Wow. Another sad story from the world of MMA. Levens was never a star or anything but that's irrelevant here. :(

[ClutchBrake]

Link to Roli's fight. Hope the link works for a while.

http://www.mmatko.com/rolando-delgado-vs-john-polakowski-fight-video-tuf-8-finale/

[Magister]

Link to Roli's fight. Hope the link works for a while.

http://www.mmatko.com/rolando-delgado-vs-john-polakowski-fight-video-tuf-8-finale/

Already gone

[ClutchBrake]

Rock. On.

Yesterday it was announced that one of our heavyweight's, Mike "The Juggernaut" Wessel, is a late replacement for UFC 92. He will be facing Antoni Hardonk.

This is going to be a huge test for Juggy. He's coming in on 9 days notice and fighting a world class HW who has already fought five times in the UFC, losing only to Mir and Justin McCully.

Juggy is a tough guy that hits like a truck. I would say his ground game is better than that of Hardonk (though Juggy is no expert). The advantage in striking goes to Hardonk. I certainly don't see Juggy throwing any kicks, and I suspect Hardonk's kicks could likely be the downfall of Juggy. Unless Juggy counters with a colossal straight right. Even coming in on 9 days notice I hope conditioning won't be a factor for Juggy. He's always training. In fact, before turning to fighting he was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Razorbacks football team.

I tried to talk myself into his corner as a waterboy. No dice. :D :( I justified spending the money to see Roli fight in the UFC because I told myself it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see someone I train with fight in the UFC. Now here I am a few days later with another guy I train with fighting in the UFC!

[ClutchBrake]

+1

I always like hearing these kinds of stories (minus the sickness).

I'm booked for UFC 92. I couldn't resist. I'm going early this time and hope to make the weigh-ins Friday. I plan to be a little more prepared this time and will try to get some pictures. I'm really hoping Roli can introduce me to Big Nog but I'm betting he will be way too busy and focused.

[Jebberwocky!]

I'm booked for UFC 92. I couldn't resist. I'm going early this time and hope to make the weigh-ins Friday. I plan to be a little more prepared this time and will try to get some pictures. I'm really hoping Roli can introduce me to Big Nog but I'm betting he will be way too busy and focused.

:)

if not maybe he can get Mir's instead ;)

[Magister]

I'm booked for UFC 92. I couldn't resist. I'm going early this time and hope to make the weigh-ins Friday. I plan to be a little more prepared this time and will try to get some pictures. I'm really hoping Roli can introduce me to Big Nog but I'm betting he will be way too busy and focused.

One thing I learned about flying over the last decade, don't try to fly the same day as a meeting. Gotta give yourself a lot of lee way with travel. Especially now with the rent-a-cops making sure you dont' blow up the plane with 4oz. of Dasani.

Good luck, you gotta wear a TCF t-shirt so we can see you in the crowd.

[goblue97]

I'm booked for UFC 92. I couldn't resist. I'm going early this time and hope to make the weigh-ins Friday. I plan to be a little more prepared this time and will try to get some pictures. I'm really hoping Roli can introduce me to Big Nog but I'm betting he will be way too busy and focused.
Is 92 going to be at the MGM Grand? If so, there is a good spot to catch fighters on their way in and out. If you're standing in the casino area (not really casino, more like hallway) facing the main entrance into the arena, all the way toward the left there is an escalator that goes down a level. After the weigh-ins, we were able to catch a lot of the fighters coming up from there. Also, on fight day, we went down that escalator and out a door which seemed to be used for VIPs. That is where I ran onto Georges St. Pierre. It was right by the escalator though that I met Trigg, Gonzaga, Florian, Henderson, Big John McCarthy, and some others.

Good Luck and have fun.

[ClutchBrake]

Is 92 going to be at the MGM Grand? If so, there is a good spot to catch fighters on their way in and out. If you're standing in the casino area (not really casino, more like hallway) facing the main entrance into the arena, all the way toward the left there is an escalator that goes down a level. After the weigh-ins, we were able to catch a lot of the fighters coming up from there. Also, on fight day, we went down that escalator and out a door which seemed to be used for VIPs. That is where I ran onto Georges St. Pierre. It was right by the escalator though that I met Trigg, Gonzaga, Florian, Henderson, Big John McCarthy, and some others.

Good Luck and have fun.

Yup, MGM Grand.

Thanks for the tips! :up:

[EvilMidniteBombr]

I'll be heading to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch UFC 92. There's a brand new one in Clarksville, IN that I plan on visiting.

Should be a good card. I'm kinda torn on Nog vs Mir. I don't like Mir and want to see Nog win. But at the same time, I'd like to see a Lesnar vs. Mir rematch.

Griffin vs Evans should be a war.

Jackson vs Silva should be interesting. I wonder if he'll come out fired up or will he be the same fighter that lost to Griffin? I am really curious to see how Jackson has done without his old camp.

[2004raptor]

This will be the first UFC in about the last 20 I won't get to watch.

I agree that I would rather Nog win but I think Lesnar will be either of them so I'd rather see Mir get pummeled.

Hoping Griffin can pull it out but I also thought Chuck was gonna walk all over Rashad.

And I'm hoping Silva destroys Page.